1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of cooking appliances and, more particularly, to a cooking appliance including a control system having a simplified programming algorithm for initiating a cooking operation.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Over the years, there have been many advances in the art of cooking appliances. Various heat sources, such as convection air, microwave and IR heating elements have been used, in one way or another, to perform a cooking operation. Mechanical components such as switches, thermostats and other controls have been replaced, or at least supplemented, by electronic control systems. Rotary knobs are slowly giving way to touch pads and touch screen displays. Many new features have been added to the cooking appliance, such as preprogrammed operations, recipes, and multi-stage cooking operations. Many appliances include a help screen that aides a consumer in navigating through various available options. All in all, the construction and internal programming of the cooking appliance has grown to be more complicated. However, the basic steps for initiating a cooking operation have remained substantially unchanged over the years.
Typically, to initiate a cooking operation, a consumer may select a cooking mode, a cooking temperature, a cook time and a cook duration. In the most simplified form, the consumer may select the cook mode and cook temperature. The prior art contains several examples of cooking appliances that attempt to reduce an overall number of steps required to initiate a cooking operation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,769 discloses a cooking appliance having a computer cooking means that, after placing a meat product into a cooking chamber, requires only an input indicating the type of meat and the degree of doneness before the cooking operation is started. While being simple, the process does not readily lend itself to other food items, such as baked goods and the like.
In addition, if a consumer desires to set a cook duration, he/she is limited to entering a single time. Most recipes call for performing a cooking operation over a range of cook times. Another consideration is that heating characteristics vary between cooking appliances. Where a food item will require heating for 30 minutes in one model, the same food item may require heating for 35 or even 40 minutes in a different model. For that reason, most recipes set forth both upper and lower limits for the cook time. Often times, a consumer will set a food item in the oven for the minimum time, only to find that the food item is not completely cooked. At that point, the food item is left in the oven for an additional time period which, if the timer is not set again or if the consumer simply looses track of the time, could lead to the food item becoming overcooked or even burned.
Based on the above, there exists a need for a cooking appliance requiring minimal inputs before initiating a cooking operation. In addition, there exists a need for a cooking appliance having a timer capable of setting both minimum and maximum cook time parameters. More specifically, given the sophistication provided by modern technology, the overall number of steps required to initiate a cooking operating could be further reduced, while not being limited by the particular type of food being cooked.